Homeless
by Rude2
Summary: I found this story in my closet, tell me if you like it, this is a tunned down repost.
1. The goddess

Prologue to HOMELESS 

By: rude 

Disclaimer and Warnings 

The characters of Saint-Seiya are not mine and I am not earning a peso, yen, dollar, or any other currency with them. This is for pure amusement and therapy. Don't sue me! 

For the poor souls in misfortune crossing true this fic, I'm warning them that I like yaoi and that this is probably heading for gay land. Meaning yaoi and lemons, the big heavy ones. OK? 

The Goddess 

Things were not going well, Hades lost the war but he won the battle. Seiya died and Saori used all her Cosmo to resuscitate him. At the end it cost the life to the young goddess of war. 

Seiya returned weak and feeling more dead than alive... he lost his goddess, the sister he barely met, the world had come to dwell on the child's shoulders. The boy who was once known as the saint of hope.

Wright next to Saori, Tatsumi, the old butler died he will never allow his lady to go alone and unprotected anywhere, not even to the darker realm. 

This death was the definitive one, the goddess would not return to earth, she had finally been able to conquer the enemies of humanity and she could fulfill the promise made to her 5 brothers; they would have peace and never would the holly wars return, the rest was in the hands of humanity. 

Even wile in the bottom of her soul the goddess tried to survive, the mortal soul of Saori had a revelation. While she was alive existed the possibility... no, the certainty that the goddess of war returned. And always with her will return the wars among gods, the wars among men. Everything was bound and Saori tasted deceit in her core, self-deceit when descending to the abyss to recover the soul of the Pegasus. She saw it in the faces of those that fell, soldiers of lost battles that had never ceased to fall and now they looked at her with infinite sadness for those eyes that shown no longer, had no strength to hate. To hate her just for being, to hate her for taking from them the only worth they really possessed and hating themselves for giving it so foolishly. Their lives and everything that makes a soul what it is... the light she shone golden and pure it was not her own, but of the incorrupt and innocent souls of the young soldiers and warriors of thousands of past battles. 

She saw reflected in the souls of the dead their common past. As if through a broken mirror that will never hit the floor, their lives could be seen through hundred of years, souls fed to her by the lives of the warriors that died in her name, on behalf of the war. She testified her own birth and she understood why she never wanted or felt the need for a mother, she never had one, in fact, during the centuries she always had enough from the shade of Zeus that protected and nurtured his creation, like a farmer growing the field he will later harvest and feed upon. It was a perverse dependence born from power and the need to rule, both tied together for crimes and desires unresolved. Rotating through their self-made karmic trap. 

She could see the countless times that her body formed in the womb of virgins sacrificed to her brother Zeus, fed with the blood of saints: a group of the strongest boys in each era surrendered in body and soul to her and at the end died, they always died, so it be their combined energy that maintained the goddess alive for 200 years more.

She was the catharsis, the one to announce the comeback of the old gods from all around the world. If she did not reborn, they would remain in the abyss and finally they would be judged. Their souls like those of the common humans that at some time they were. No more wars, no more fights for power she always won with Nike in her right hand, and mainly no more souls to fuel them. 

- Continue with the cycle... no die... live... cursed... damned... damned... no... The death continues... never... - voices inside her head screamed and they whispered like the tormented dream of a mad woman. 

- I am a devil - it was her last thought as Athena goddess of Olympus. 

It was to late for Athena, power drained from her like a river trough a broken dam. Saori took back the reigns. The personality created to cover her true nature overpowering the demon. Coming to look for Seiya so soon after the battle against Hades was the mistake she will pay dearest. But Athena needed the light of the Pegasus to continue living and Saori needed him to smile again. 

Saori Kido took the control and although she could hear the screams of the other gods begging Athena to stop her, the youth brushed away the goddess's conscience and burned all her Cosmo to seal the abyss and send her beloved Seiya far from this black hole, far from her and the evil Athena represented. - Goodbye my dear Seiya some day you will forgive me... I hope you shall never learn the truth - 

No, he would never find out that so many deaths and so much pain were not ever necessary.

Saori fought against Athena in the abyss and the girl's small figure became a cloud of luminous smoke. The souls were twisted with violence while the goddess and her ego fractured and exploded in a despaired fight to be again one. she smiled while they fell separate, finally. The goddess roared losing the vessel of her soul that was Saori Kido and the later laughed. finally free.


	2. Seiya

HOMELESS

Chapter 1

Seiya

Dawn, finally. Shun dragged away from the black computer screen and let his feet search for the sneakers under the narrow table. 

Exhausted from a long night's work he didn't bother turning off the machine, instead walked away to the door and fumbled with his coat in the same way he used to put-on his shoes. 

Finally dressed he wondered into the empty streets outside the old coliseum. -It's still dark.. where is everyone? - His mind supplied the missing thoughts. ' Hyoga somewhere in Siberia, Shiryu in China, maybe he finally made it back to Rozan, Ikky is away.. as always - goddess knows where..- Unreachable now since I have not enough Cosmo to call for his aid'. The blue-eyed demon never could take much human company at once. Shun smiled weakly remembering his beloved oniisan grumpy pose when to many people were around him, almost instantly the tears blurred his sight and once again the boy was tempted to cry, but held them back not for bravery but for the urgency of the situation he was currently trying to overcome. - Not now, not yet.. when things are back to normal you can be a weakling for as long as you please..-. He shuck his head, sending copper and gold locks flying about to mingle whit the few tears on his face. 'Breathe in breathe out'. The lonely figure stood still in the middle of the empty street for tree or four gasping breaths and resumed walking whit long quick strides.

Too tired from training Shiryu went back to the hut he currently was calling home, just to find Sunrei standing in the middle of the single room, staring at him with disbelieving eyes.

- Why didn't you come back home? - 

He took the towel she offered and dried his sweaty face and chest. 

- I needed to train -. 

She used those doe eyes on him as she held him bye the hands. 

-Train for what? -.

He felt like she was pushing her hand inside his chest and twisting his feelings out, forcing things out he didn't want out! She cried-out softly, the sound jerking him back into her eyes. Trailing his eyes down he realized way, he had jerked his hands away, he recoiled and turn his face away as if the realization of his 'brusqueness'* had hurt him more than it had her. Shiryu had never been less than gentle to his beloved sister, now he was exasperated by her unending kindness, patience, worshiping... - I don't want to talk about... I think you should leave. - It was whispered but he knew she heard him. 

She barely seamed faced by his words and went on with her probing, like he knew she would.

-Shiryu you most stop torturing yourself, I know it wasn't your fault I just know and you must stop blaming yourself, the battles are over and there is so much for you to do know...-

And he wasn't listening anymore because someone was at the door waiting for her. Doko.

-Sensei, - Sunrei quieted and turned around to see the newcomer. -Shiryu- he acknowledged.

-You came back I see- the now young gold saint watched his pupil give a slight nod and he waved his hand in dismissal. -I'm glad you survived Hades- the boy didn't move. Doko wondered if Shiryu was angry for him being alive or was it just jealousy towards Sunrei.

-Sunrei his right- Shiryu raised an eyebrow. Doko continued - You should come back home-

- I will decide where to go and when-

The girl eyes went wide as she let out a shocked gasp. -Shiryu! -

-You may after all...- The former old man turned to leave before he added, -but consider your brothers, they need you now more than ever-. The dragon saint wandered what he meant as he picked up the note his sensei dropped on the table.

It was a wrinkled telegram, probably sent to the village, a few dozen miles away from here. It read: "Seiya_alive._Saori_died._please_come_quickly." Sender: Shun.

The winter was over, and the blond boy kept wandering the woods around the small valley.

He still went back to the small town in the center of it once in a while, to check on Jacob and the townspeople. Then went back to visit his mothers grave and wander about aimlessly.

It was almost time to sleep for Jacob when his father burst through the front door with the gelid arctic wind at his back. Twenty minutes later the boy and his father were trudging true the melting snow up into the sparse Siberian forest in search for the swan saint.


	3. Flush

Alwrighty then, this is gonna get ugly. You've been warned.

I'm changing a few things about the saints so you may think its OOC, but its all in the name of realism. ("Writers prerogative" or as we say in my line of work "Contribution to the piece")

It is placed after Hades, Seiya died to save everybody and Saori follows him but she doesn't make it back, and trust me, Seichan is gonna wish he hadn't either. Also, Shun hair is gold-brown cause this stuff will sound silly to me otherwise. "Yes no more punk do" And no Sunrei is not Shiryu's sister but in the Spanish version she called him so affectionately, not that she really meant it. (Sorry haven't seen the English version yet)

'....' = Indicates thought

"..." = Speech

*...* = Emphasis

Flush

The World seemed empty for one young saint.

Shun walked pass the empty buildings where his brothers used to train. He passed by the labs and development sites, paper and broken furniture littering the floor. The old empire crumbled in less than a week, all it took was the fall of one last head. 'Saori-sama.' 

The lady in question left the heirloom in the hands of Tatsumi, ever the real head of the Gaud keiretsu (organization), although the lady always made the important decisions, one truly couldn't expect a thirteen year old child to run a company so powerful and obscurely influent as Gaud. A shadow that could send enemy companies scurrying away whit a flick of its yakuza's wrist. 

The power that kept them above the law and bought the favor of politicians bought them also a score of enemies who made the fall as quick as Tatsumi's blade was to follow his lady.

As he made it to the private clinic where he spent most of his time in between battles memories flooded his sight and the tired feet stumbled. 'I should rest... only for a while'.

Somehow it didn't seem right to sit there. The cold step was too wide, the floor too white, something was wrong about just being in the open right there.

"Why?.. w..why ...? PLEASE NO!" Laughter, grunts, whimpers and the sounds of skin slapping against skin "STOP! ...s..stop it.." 

He went to the empty foundation's clinic for the same reason he toured the other buildings everyday.

To search for any sign of his brothers, or anyone who could help make sense of this maze he was left to solve.

Everything was being repossess by the banks. There was still running water and power in the Kido home but the phone was out, no one paid the bill. Shun will walk downtown every evening to the old coliseum and use the underground web of telecommunications in order to track his remaining family. So far it's been tough luck for the boy.

He sobbed dry tears. One passed him a box of takeout, leftovers dried old inside. He pushed the hand away and cringed as he was laughed at. " What? To good for our humble food Kido?" the hands picked up some of the mess from the floor and begun to shove it down his throat. He gagged and kicked weakly "See pretty boy, you just have to open up" more laughter, the boys eyes looked frantic and dilated "betya didn't know us poor folks could be so good ah?!" he almost broke his jaw for emphasis. Another hand was already prying him open again, time and time again in between his legs.

"So this was abandoned to" Shun muttered to the empty front desk. Looking around he saw holes in the floor, even the waiting room chairs where stolen!. 'This is surreal..!' he paced a few more steps and stole a look down the dark isle, funny its still day and down there looked so dark it was... 'Gaud is a ghost ship now, Ikky will be glad' Shun thought whit a mirthless smile marring his angelic face.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He swallowed a lump in his throat watched intently the darkness at the end of the narrow tunnel. 

'Why not leave, its empty just like the others' he had no Cosmo left Hades took away all that was rightfully his, Shun knew he was almost as weak as any regular man barely enough Cosmo to help him stand against a few burglars and disgruntled servants but it cost him almost his life to fend them of. He sure as hell wasn't looking forward to fight more angry employees and vagabonds waiting in the dark for no reason at all.

It came again, that very human feeling of dread, right before the scream.

He was already leaving towards the lighted exit when the echo slapped his back.

It was the kind of sound that made the skeptic believe in ghost and fear the dark. But something in Shun spoke of pain and need. For a saint, even one rendered powerless, that was more than enough to risk his life. 

Running down the darkness he followed the echo's faint whispering, and made it to one of the rooms at the back of the building. 

The door opened easily and let him in to his younger brother's nightmare.

Some precious minutes passed by while he fought the need to scream and retch in one motion. The scent of stale body fluids stuffed the air almost making it gray and all he could focus on was the slim legs of his brother Seiya dangling from the bed, limp and covered whit filth and blood rolling down from inside, the traces of a hospital robe hanging from his arms brown from dried blood. The sun setting outside dropped its light through a small overhead window. 

TBC


	4. Listen

HOMELESS

Chapter 4

By Rude

Listen

The nightmare seemed to grow dim in the evening golden light. 

Seiya's closed eyes could still feel the warmth of the sun while his mind was numbed from the pain and horror. It was only him and the dying sun; there was no one in the room, no smell, no sound, and no taste on his tongue.

Shun screamed out his name. Things scrambled in the dark.

The older man in the group was a forty-something year old body guard, he was once Mitsumasa Kido's favorite guard, or rather henchman; his job description included kidnapping, murder, *intimidation... and he enjoyed it. 

He was pretty disgruntled now, after being fired unceremoniously from the job that kept him above the average criminal, he met whit other Gaud ex-employees and roamed the vast grounds in search for retribution, if not from the dead landlords... then the from the living heirs... anyone will do.

The old lowlife was now lying on the floor 'mongst empty bottles of expensive scotch when the screaming youngster at the door woke everyone in the room. 

The other 3 where sprawled at each side of the only entrance to the room, and staggered to their feet in a drunken haste. 

It was a whole week of partying around the empty building that got them to the basement whit the barely conscious boy. There little *scapegoat ho* as the boss called him. 

The bulky yakuza lounged for the screaming boy and stumbled, Shun felt the world tilt and crash when the heavy mass landed on him. His only concern now was to get to his bleeding brother so he didn't even register the filthy words being breathed down his face. Adrenaline replacing Cosmo, he flung the man off using all his body weight as leverage and kicked his left leg over to his right hip in a motion that served to deck the pair of legs he saw coming at him from his position on the ground, the drunken guard fell whit a *TUD* at his side. The impulse also helped him roll and stand with little effort and controlled ease. His training being based on skill more than strength, from those years with Ikky when he was in obvious size disadvantage... just like now. 

Breathing heavy he whirled to his right eyes blurring from the stale air... and was slammed in the face by a large fist. He stumbled but leaned on the bed for support, it creaked... and moaned... sounds of pain. Shun's gut clenched and he wailed out in anger not even feeling the sequence of hands and fists slamming in his stomach and chest, the boys pupils shrunk like a cat's in the sun as he kicked the closest aggressor, the man's knee turning askew ...he wailed too. 

The fury and shame for his brother eating away the very air from his lungs... madness...

A snarl greeted the yakuza boss. He sliced at the men's face with bare hands and nails growling and crying out. 

"BASTARDSBASTARDSBASTAAAARDS...!!!" 

The rampaging demon in his chest pushing away coherent thought, his nails pealing away the skin of arms and faces galore. Someone's hand groped his groin and made him reel back to the bed in pain, more hands tried their dam nest to pin the squirming teen, but Shun could only feel the weight of his body pressing on Seiya's chest, feel the hitching lungs against his back fighting weakly for air as strange little whimpers left his swollen mouth. The older boy only knew one thing:

"They will die now... all of them Seiya...."

Promise said in a whisper.

The hitching sounds in his chest stopped abruptly. Cries of pain allover the empty hospital, the dirty black suit staining in blood and some clear liquid. 

Shun gripping fingers sunk in the eye sockets of the first goon to fall, they remained there until the man keeled over, body jerking its last. 

The boy continuing the uneven fight, slipped his feet on the greasy linoleum, fell to the ground on his knees; fist shutting up to smash full force into the two closest groins. The large men falling to their sides and parting an exit for the boy... to find himself face to face with the head of the gang.

Cocaine and alcohol bleary eyes met blue-green fire.

Slam after slam he punched and side kicked every nasty fist that came his way but the brute force was winning over revengeful strength. Shun panted wildly and forced himself to endure the frontal attack. 

Futile. 

It was the two recovering men that caught his arms and pressed themselves against his side, laughing and mumbling in his ears.

"Little bitch came for his little cunt, hmm?"

"Play rough, don't you?..." 

The older one pressed his face to Shun's in a mocking glare meeting his eyes an inch away.

"Such pretty ho" he giggled madly, his *blind friend* on the floor forgotten. 

The boy was about to throw up, all he could think of was ' I'm breathing his air... '

The graying hair sticking to Shun's forehead, greasy and smelling like an animal's burnt hide.

Shun was beyond coherent thought, every motion left to instinct. And this is how he forgot peril, damnation and pain ...when his hand fell on the warmed steel, resting under the open jacket of the man at his right side.

Night fell too and the sun flooded the room in a dim bluish light. It died quickly.

Hunter and preys stood still in the gloom.

A flash of orange through a single window, outside the large building was followed by thunder. 

Over and over again.

Tbc.


	5. The sun dies a long death in spring

HOMELESS

Chapter 5

The sun dies a long death in spring... (1)

Thought Hyoga as he sat at the train station. It's unbelievably lovely, when you can watch a sunset at the seaside, even if it was cold and rain darkened the horizon. The sun always shined through the clouds in so many colors!

His current state of joy was brought up by a simple letter he received almost 3 days ago.

Jacob and his father found him in the middle of a snowstorm and dragged him to their home where hot tea and a blanket warmed his body as the letter they placed in his lap would warm his soul.

"Seiya you are back!" He cried out to the empty railway and smiled imagining the little bundle of energy and brown eyes greeting them all, jumping about, alive and well.

He leaned on a door and they fell through when it gave way, Seiya mumbled something but slept on ...thankfully, it sounded like a plea but Shun just pulled them back up and walked in the new room. It was another ward with an empty bed frame and a small bathroom, this place too was raided. 

His mind fixed on the task at hand, he sat the boy on the floor in the bathroom moved to the shower stall and turned the water on. He then went scrambling for a robe to cover the quivering body. He started crying. Sobbing back dry tears he tore apart what was left of the room in search of anything, a robe, blanket, curtain... anything. 

When he finally returned to the bathroom whit a couple of hospital-green sheaths, Seiya was dangling halfway into the tub, his upper half twisted at an odd angle, soaking bangs covering his face under the shower spray.

The need to wash himself clouded reasoning and numbed the cold, the tender hands returned and he tried to protest but they lifted him and helped wash away the bruised skin, he gratefully smiled at Shun from a face so swollen and so distorted that he couldn't hold his gaze upon it for long, Seiya not once since he was found had tried to open his eyes and Shun was grateful for this little respite. He new for sure he was not ready to see those beautiful, almost garnet colored eyes, and what they held now instead of that happy-go-lucky sparkle.

Shun dragged the limp form down the dark hallway. He was wrapped up in the sheets from head to toe.

They leaned on the wall for a minute as Shun looked about for more enemies lurking in the dark of the narrow passage, the yellow lines on the floor lost to a wall of black at each end, fort and back of there path, he shuddered, back against the cold wall expecting something to spring out of it, maybe an enemy that didn't fell to the unholy fire of the gun. He gritted his teeth at the memory and held the boy closer, silence granted a nervous peace and he slumped to the ground with the too light wait on his shoulder. Seiya shallow breath told of pained awareness, "Thirst-ty..." he whispered. Shun stood and half dragged half carried him down the hallway again, seaming deaf to the plea, he went on... stopping at a gurgling water dispenser, still on its stand. 

It was almost surreal when Seiya smiled at the sound of the water bubbling out into the plastic cup, he helped it to the dry pealing lips and held it for him, gaze firmly on the cup. Shun concentrated his attention in the silence and the weak slurps of his younger brother's drinking.

They kept on walking slowly to the exit after the boy satisfied his thirst and fell asleep on his shoulder. 

The exit never seemed so far when he came in and he could only think of getting Seiya to a hospital... and lying down to die after that.

TBC

A/N:

(1) My own little haiku *grins proudly*


	6. Another hospital

Chapter 6

Another hospital.

Bleak walls seemed to glow, his sight blurry at the edges.

Noise

Seiya's limbs twitched in nervous reflex. Hidden within the corners of his eyes were always shadows, moving shadows stalking his exposed body. Like vultures picking at a corpse, not quite dead.

He quivered all over at the thought of being dead, like before they..

His hands covered the aching head as he tried to shake away the images.

But the feeling of emptiness, the forever falling, the screams that echoed around the dark and the distorted faces of the former saints all reunited to find their just reward.

-A whimper of despair.-

No relief from the pain, no hope, no strength, no control, no virtue....and her all encompassing essence.

Athena's essence feeding on him, because that thing could never again be called a soul. It sucked them dry and yet kept on sucking. It wont stop. Not until Saori died and ...she did die then.

In the fugue of his mind all he could see was a rusty gas pump in the desert and the loud "ding", but it was empty!! And the bell just kept ringing the loud "ding" "ding" "ding".... then suddenly darkness and the cool night.

Now he was back again in the room, this one clean and free of demons, still smelling of the sweet rosewater balm Shun wear's on his hands.

"I thought I was special" his face blank and eyes hollow.

He drifted asleep forgetting again if he was really alive.

Shun 

Mumbling to himself he made it back to the town's hospital. Sunrise was a forgotten event now.

Sometimes Seiya will wake and ask for water, it seemed the only thing he was capable of doing, and even then it was not a coherent action. He was still not aware completely of surroundings : who was with him or where he was.

Shun will sometimes try and talk him out into reality but the boy will just layback down limp, eyes distant and his younger brother will resort to petting the mussed up hair and whisper nonsense soothing at his side until they both fell asleep.

Today was no different.

"Tomorrow I will try again, you will see, someone will show up soon... soon, baby, soon"

Seiya eyes fell closed today, Shun's steady breath warming his cheek a comforting feeling.

Numbed legs.

Hyoga stretched out; the sun was high up warming the golden Russian lad. His companion was enjoying the panoramic view out their window. He smiled at him and continued his perusal of fast passing country side.

He felt bad still for the lost of Saori but his trust in Seiya and the goddess forbade any lose of hope.

They called it hope but it was really just blind, childish trust. The kind that was beaten into them at an early age and stunted their psique.

Seiya will always save the day. " It is just a matter of time until Saory retrieve him from the Hades dimension" Shiryu had commented earlier. " at her return we will gain our Cosmo to it's fullest strength "

She had promised this with a divine smile before she left.

The old train, chugged down the Hokkaido coastline now, and the rocky cliff sides were visible.

Three more stops and they will be home. Next will be the ferry at the port, then the bus ride and hopefully a short walk to the exclusive neighborhood were lay the Kido mansion.

" Three more stops Shiryu"

The dragon grumbled and feigned sleep, Hyoga laughed at this. He never imagined his friend could be such a grouch. Who would have taught the cool and collected dragon will be so different under neat.

They met at a northern port in China. The remnant Cosmo guiding them once they were close enough to sense each other. Japanese passports made it easy to travel on the old cargo ship. It came as a surprise not to find a Kido ship at port, but they shrugged it to their not understanding much about maritime routes.

To Shiryu's surprise they had to work to earn the ride. The dock's foreman explained as much.

Hyoga took it all in good stride. It was a simple adventure for them, to act around as regular kids, and the mild discomfort was well worth it in Hyoga's opinion.

Shiryu's dragon like pride was secretly stung, (actually having to work like a pawn!)

Hyoga couldn't hide the smile remembering Shiryu carrying the heavy sack of flour and the second mate yelling he was too slow for someone who ate that much. To Hyoga's surprise, that night in their bunk beds Shiryu had a thing or two to say about the man and his stingy cooking. He discovered Shiryu: mister calm and scholarly, was a very touchy guy and he took offense easily, all this under that quiet facade.

He mused about this for a while.

But things went smoothly after that if not fast enough for the eager boys.

During the whole trip neither acknowledged the pang of fear in the back of their chest, not even to themselves. The stress of not having Cosmo and grunting to lift 50 pounds, were not things they would admit.

Shun kept on posting telegrams, until today. He got an answer.

He sobbed that morning in Seiya's chest.

" they are coming back"

Tbc.


	7. Another morning

Homeless

By Rude

Chapter 7

It was morning again.

Shiryu was sitting at his bedside when he woke up. The dragon saint had an unreadable expression on his face. 

Shun smiled nervously "hello Seiya, how are you feeling today" he was not expecting an answer. To his surprise the brown eyes danced in recognition and he nodded to the greeting, even smiled shyly at them. Shun stumbled on his words but Hyoga was already talking " you made it Seiya-kun, it took you long enough to climb this cliff! "*

Shiryu smiled at this and watched them, happy to have their loud baka again. "This is not what we expected, Saori should have returned with you..." He almost felt like blaming him but if Pegasus couldn't bring her back maybe it would take all their strength, forgetting about not having Cosmo.

"We will all strive to bring her back Hyoga" Shiryu spoke a bit uneasy about the atmosphere in the room.

Seiya face seemed to crumple before there eyes. 

"NO" 

Shun dashed forward and held the flaying body. " No.. don't let them!! PLEASE!! DON'T!!" he alternated between a childish voice and growing screams, face fluvial with tears now. Hyoga on instinct tried to restrain his legs and held on to the kicking limbs as best he could, this only brought different round of screams, these more keening and shrill. Shun recognized those from memory and barked out the order " Don't touch HIM!!"

Hyoga jumped back bouncing into a shocked Shiryu.

"Seiya!" 

" Shun! what's happening to him?"

The boy only hugged the squirming brunette, while a couple nurses burst into the room armed with syringes. In a couple seconds the boy fell limp after a couple spasm.

mouths agape, the dragon and the swan saint watched the nurses and Shun rearrange Seiya in his bed. Gently wiping the tear stained face of their patient and mumbling comforting words to Shun the two women left with a warning as to not to disturb the poor child further and reminding them that visiting hours will be over soon.

No point in visiting if the patient was going to be out for the next four hours.

So the next order o business was facing them.

"Shun?"

Said boy took them by surprise. He turned away and headed for the door his face a blank mask. They followed after a glance at the white bed and its precious occupant.

They walked in silence and followed Shun out into a little foyer of sorts, he sat on a bench and motioned them to do the same.

"What the hell was that!?" Hyoga busted out.

"I cant explain much right now .." he said, eyes a bit unfocused.

" LOOK AT ME SHUN!!" Hyoga shook the boy, his gut instinct, not Cosmo, the same instinct that gripped Shiryu wen they entered that community hospital, told him he was over his head in this.

"Hyoga!! Let him be."

"but..."

Shiryu knelt before the Andromeda saint and held him by the shoulders at arms length.

" Please.. what happened here?"

Shun took a few deep breaths while he resettled mind into some semblance of alert. " The Gaud foundation, collapsed." He waited for them to digest that and continued "I managed to bring Seiya from the private clinic to this place because it's free, he came back and was attacked by ..." his eyes darted a bit "bandits" he said louder "They hurt!.. him ..and he is not himself now" he whispered the last. "I haven't been able to contact my niisan yet" Shun added this as an after taught. 

His mind still reeling around. He obviously was hiding all he could without outward lying. He didn't even feel bad about it, all he could think of was holding up the fort, until it was all better and never telling any one what he saw... what he did.

Shiryu was not buying it but kept on asking anyway.

" How bad is he?"

"The doctors said he will be alright soon" Shiryu nodded " When can we take him home?" Hyoga was eager now.

"He can leave anytime now.." They looked at each other "So why haven't you take him home?" Shun didn't even blink he just kept looking at some point on the wall " We cant because there is no home, and no one to pick us up..." to their silence he looked up realizing in the midst of his own turmoil that they had no idea how things where going to be from now on. "he is a minor, he needs a parent or a legal guardian to sign the release papers"

Saying stunned was understating their expressions. Shun laughed, it was a tired sound that grated Hyoga's nerves. 

If they had a childhood maybe one could say they knew the name of the old show, but they didn't and could only gape at the feeling of being in the Twilight Zone.

"That's impossible how.."

" Maybe Tatsumi will provide the necessary documentation and"

Shun snorted in a very unlike him fashion "He is dead!" there was some relief in his voice, or maybe Shiryu just imagined it. "as for the other employees, they all went into hiding, those who are not dead or in jail that is.."

'Shun'

"How...? are you ok?"

the boy blinked back the tears and smiled, quelling the pang of pain when he realized it was Shiryu and not Hyoga who finally asked.

He just shock his head.

Hyoga had a million questions but could not for the life of him voice any, and Shiryu did not trust Shun's answers.

Not knowing what to do they just sat down together on the bench, unaccustomedly close.

Later that evening he told them what he could remember of the last 3 weeks.

Tbc.

Not a cliff hanger!!


	8. A simple bed

Back again from the Plot-Bunny graveyard. Just got myself a new one and hope this new bunny don't croak on me. So again.. back to the fic.

****

CHAPTER 8

A simple bed

*********************

To the end of the day Shun marched front, his fellow saints in tail out of the hospital. 

He bid the night nurse goodnight and the portly lady answered in kind, his routine for the past weeks. This was a bit strange for his companions who weren't used to interacting with people outside the saint circle. So they just smiled at each other and attribute it to the boy's sweet demeanor.

Outside he continued to walk and they only followed without comment, the day was close to ending and it was a bit cool outside. Hyoga tried to ignore it by sucking up his pride and admitting that his cosmo was taking a bit longer to recover, wouldn't do for an ice saint to admit he felt cold, but one had to make exemptions of late, specially since instead of increasing with his body recovery...his cosmo grew thin.

They spent the night in the little hotel across the road, it was a tight fit but they managed well.

On their way there Shun detoured to the café outside and bought a bag of sandwiches and a jug of orange juice, while Shiryu and Hyoga went forward into the main building. 

They passed by the empty lobby and a bored desk clerk that may have asked what room they were heading but he just looked up and saw two teens with a hotel key baring 204 in big bold numbers and went back to watching his TV show. 

Shun passed by and ran up the short flight of stairs, the room was on the second story witch was good because the elevator was broken, from the looks of it for a long time.

He ran in to catch up with them and smiled faintly while Hyoga opened the door to their room. It was nice to have familiar faces in this bleak place.

From then on things slowed down and the morose mood faded a bit, Shun handed around food from the big brown bag and juice in foam cups while Hyoga kept asking about Seiya and if he would be okay on his own,. His host kept assuring him (and himself) that he would be ok and asleep for the duration of the night and probably most of the morning. 

His earlier recount about finding and taking care of Seiya had huge holes in it, but it was not uncommon for them to overlook the details. 

Hyoga's curiosity was born from the boy's obvious distress at seeing Seiya like that. Shiryu told him to just let the boy rest and Shun as well because he needed it too, if the dark rings around his eyes were any indication

Meanwhile Shun tried his best to remain calm and collected for them, he vouched for the hospital staff while pottering around the room fitting their duffel bags into the closet, and putting away leftovers in the small fridge. " They are really good people Hyoga, and Seiya will be okay with them for tonight, you both need to rest after such a long day."

Shiryu stared away out the window, " Tell me more about this hospital rule Shun" he said suddenly.

"uh?"

"the one stating someone older than us should release him"

"Well somebody from Gaud would do that whenever papers had to be signed, I think it was a man appointed by Saorisama, but I don't know how to contact him or his name." He sat on the bed and pulled off his sneakers. The things were smelly and needed a wash, he noticed.

Hyoga sat on a corner and nibbled at the fat tuna sandwich while he tried to recall the people that worked around them. He could remember a few times when leaving the country there were a lot more men dress in black swarming around Tatsumi, those extra men looked older and always signed papers and spoke on the phone a lot, one of those probably was the one in charge of signing their leave. Try as he may he could not remember a single face. He only noticed them because there was noting to do while they waited on the airfield tarmac for Shun to arrive, he could remember joking with Seiya... the little baka.

"Oniisan is old enough to sign the release paper" Shun commented a bit of subject but he was looking tired and needing to grasp at something.

"don't worry Shun. Ikky will show up as usual in the nick of time, complaining all the way!" Hyoga added forcing a laugh out of him.

The splitting of the beds was a bit stressful for Shun. 

He handed the twin sized bed he had slept on to Shiryu and the extra double bed for Hyoga, and offered to sleep on the only small chair in the room. " Why not share the larger bed?" offered Shiryu.

"You are both coming from a very long trip and still need to recover, I can spend the night on the chair don't worry about it" 

"That makes no sense! We can share one of the beds..." said Shiryu in his wiser-than-thou tone. "Hyoga can share with me and you should keep the smaller bed since you already been sleeping on it." He was calmly placing his bag on the bed as he spoke and Hyoga noticed the slight look of relief Shun was trying to hide. 

-silly little Shun- he thought fondly.

All that to get away from sharing a bed, he didn't think he could sleep close to anybody, not now, not yet. He would probably break down in tears and embarrass his friends. Also the possibility of sleeping curled up in Hyoga's arms was so appealing he felt nervous and awkward just to think about it.

So Shun quickly nodded and headed out to the bathroom to change and get ready for bed.

Hyoga slept on the extra bed with Shiryu who claimed he had worst bed mates, Kiki after all, was always hogging the sheets crawling all over the bed when he slept over. A habit the little runt displayed from that time Shiryu spent with Mu healing the cloths.

Hyoga stared at Shun a lot despite Shiryu's warning to leave the boy be.

"I'm worried about him Shiryu, he is not the same Shun we left. And Seiya ..." The blond Russian sighed.

His Chinese brother looked at the doorway to the little bathroom were Shun was dressing for bed. 

"He is distant and obviously preoccupied, I think there is so much he is not telling us about all that happened here"

" what do you mean?" snapped the blond in surprise.

"Shhhhhh... I think its wise to wait for him to tell us himself. Seiya is in such a state I have never imagined he could be and Shun's silence is full of pain.... I don't know what to do either but he doesn't want to speak about it" Hyoga stared at Shun a lot despite Shiryu's warning to leave the boy be. Hyoga stared to at the half closed door. Inside his chest there was a strange tightness, anguishing, a feeling non where familiar with but it was just that, a simple unsettling oppression somewhere beneath his sternum. So he could ignore it and concentrate in solving this predicament. 

"... wait for all of us to be reunited" 

Hyoga snapped out of his trance to listen to the tail end of Shiryu's comment. Shiryu smiled despite himself, "I was saying Shun could be right about waiting for Ikky to join us" he nodded blushing a bit. 

Shun walked out the bathroom in that moment and smiled, it was obviously a forced gesture and they both couldn't help but feel the tightness in their chest make itself at home a bit more. Hyoga had to admit when the light was of and the neon sign outside flashed pink, that he was missing the boy's megawatt smiles badly.

To a saint it was not a prerogative to think mundane thoughts. When the universe is your responsibility the infinite scale of priority tip away from the commoners perception. This is the way they thought of the world.

To worry about things like food, transportation, were your next bed would be was unheard of. When you hold such power why would you be bothered about food and shelter. 

In the end, after all the training, what you cant procure for your self will be forever provided by a wealthy goddess. Everything earthly and material was truly a blank point in their minds. Above all they had little to no conscious understanding about money. Money is something they give you, like a child your needs are supplied and you never question about it. 

Oblivious trust ...or fate you may call it.

So that night, when they all went to their beds, only one of them worried about payments for future meals and shelter.

****

******end chapter 8******

*so **oniisan** means big brother in Japanese. _I think_

****

*Saorisama refers to Saori in the higher level of respect. kind a like kamisama where kami means god.

****

*Baka means idiot, but as in all Japanese phrases it depends on how you say it that gives it a **fond** or derogative meaning. He obviously went for the first.


	9. Still

Uhg!!

What a mess I made uploading on mediaminer!! Got all the numbers wrong now it seems like a chapter 9 when its chapter 8. Well this will be chapter 10 for mediaminer and 9 for fanfiction net.

So on with the story.

CHAPTER 9

Still

**********

It was a long walk from the dinky hotel to the closest crossing. The new comers could only look across the 5 lane street mournfully. Both caught themselves feeling bad and a glance in each others face told of their longing. Two months ago they could have jumped clear across an 8 lane highway.

Shun just kept on walking.

--------------------

The room was well lit now. Morning sun came clean and crisp true the plastic drapes and gave everything a clear start. 

At least it seemed that way to the boy on the bed. "I wont cry today" he whispered. The nurse told him during breakfast that his friends came to visit, and the shrink asked if he remember them coming to visit yesterday. He said no but it was a lie, it was all he could do to save some dignity. 

Today they would return... he hoped... and he wont act crazy. Today he would do better. 

"just step at a time" 

He made it his litany a long time ago, and the shrink said the same thing.

When his friends arrived, Shun stepped in and almost laughed with joy when he saw the boy propped up on pillows, and sitting across a tray of empty plates.

"Seiya! You are up!"

He gifted them with a small smile and nodded, still afraid to speak. They all moved in then, a little more light hearted, and hovered around his bed. Shun leaned in and straightened his pillows while Shiryu sat on a chair close by.

"How are you feeling?" Hyoga moved forward. Seiya only nodded looking at his hands.

Toying with the edge of his blanket he contemplated lying to the lot of them and pretended noting happen. It was obvious from the look on their faces, shun have kept quiet about his ...accident. 

-No!.. the attack!! - 

His mind corrected fiercely, at least the part of it that tried to follow his therapist advice. It has a name don't make up little excuses.

He didn't raise his head he new they were staring. Shun opened the dialogue again

"I am so glad you ate something today Seiya!! You had me worried there for a while. Here let me take these of you.." the gentle boy moved the little roller tray of to the side. Seiya somehow felt unprotected when his only shield was drawn

"Seiya what happen?" Shiryu finally blurted unable to bear the oppression in his chest.

Before Shun could protest, the Chinese boy lifted his hand. " And I will like to hear it from you". Shun griped the bedside and ignored Shiryu "He was hurt!! Badly leave him be Shiryu!!" he blurted.

"I.. I'm.. I was..."

"You don't have to say anything Seiya"

-Its not about what happen it's facing life after...- the shrink's voice echoed somewhere.

Slowly Seiya shock his head and reached out to hold on to something... someone, he met Shun's hand, and realized he couldn't do it.

"I was attacked..." it was barely a whisper.

Shun clutched the slim fingers gently. " It's alright..."

To his credit, Hyoga reigned on his need to shake some sense into everybody in the room. "WE KNOW THAT!!"

It was the little jump and curling motion on the bed that made him pipe down.

"Who could have scared you like this Seiya!!" he pleaded, drawing closer. Said boy only drew his legs in and stared to Shun hand in his.

"You are not even looking us in the eye... Seiya.". Shiryu held Hyoga back and added as he took in the fearful stance.

"Shun."

"Yes Shiryu?" 

-He too is afraid? Afraid of what?- "Please don't leave us out."

Shun paled. It was unlike the dragon to plea for anything. It was diametrically opposed to his character. 

He could not muster an explanation yet. No way could he give answer to any question they came up with, non that could spare Seiya.

"I..."

"It happen at the hospital, they left me there and I was to weak to get away from... them, Saory died and ... they left the..."

He new he wasn't making any sense but Shiryu begged and it hurt to just let him think that his best friend was leaving him out. So he trudged on trying to get the facts out and not remember ...block out the images. They disserved some kind of answer.

"I couldn't .." he gasped, eyes going wide, he could just cling on harder to the sheets. 

"They were angry about money and they said we didn't disserve... and Tatsumi left them to the police" He kept on reciting, eyes wide and staring forward now. 

"I said NO!!" 

Suddenly Shun yelled, he could not allow Seiya to go back there he could not let him drag them both back. The voice on the bed died down to a whisper of nonsense words.

"Shiryu we will talk later. Just let him be for now..." he ended in a whisper.

Shun stopped Seiya's babbling by sitting on the bedside, his back to the others. Long pale fingers combed true curly brown locks and went to rest on the ashen cheeks. 

Seiya's cinnamon skin was now almost as pale as his and some of the bruises were still faintly visible. He was not healing well... too slow even for a normal boy.

"I will find who ever harmed you so..."

" It's no use they are gone now Shiryu" 

The former Andromeda saint sighed eyes gone bleak. The boy on the bed curled into a little ball away from everyone. Shun stood up and headed out the room when the nurse came in to retrieve the food trays. It took a few minutes while Hyoga refused to follow Shun outside. He stood there with Shiryu wanting to know, but the eerie feeling in the chest was so much more now.

So far they new a lot but still came up missing keys. Up on the roof of the hospital, Shun recount of all this mess was shocking enough to keep the details as just that... simple details.

Saory took her life in order to follow Seiya into the abyss, that was all left of the Hades land. She did this alone, and no one new anything else about it, no exact date or place.

They needed to know about her. But it fell back in importance to Seiya's illness. Shun mentioned Tatsumi's suicide as a reason to not knowing where her body laid. He probably was the only one who new what happen to their goddess. 

Somehow no one cried, they just sat there starring out into the darkening sky. It felt wrong not to cry but it was always there, the inevitability of her return and at Seiya's recovery they will bring her back.

They both had resolved to stand in the doorway looking at the ground while the woman changed the bedding and cleaned up a bit. 

Suddenly Seiya stood up and went in the bathroom head still lowered.

She gave the closed bathroom door her commiserating-nursely look and went back to tucking the bed corners. "You boys should all look out for him now, the poor soul have been true so much.. He needs to know it wasn't his fault, they always feel like it was but bad things 'do' happen to good people, you know?" 

She shook her head in disapproval and added, not breaking a beat "Recovery is very difficult, the bright side is he came out negative on STD's. He was lucky almost all the time they end up sick with something, the doctor recommends..."

Shiryu ran out of the room.

****************************************************************************

Hum (scratches head).... tell me what you think?


	10. Flood

****

Homeless

By Rude

****

Chapter 10

Warnings: Same as before, Yaoi, past NCS, OOC, AU braking the story line, etc.

------------------------

Shun left the accounting's desk and headed out of the office area. He had just paid for the second quota for Seiya's extended stay and extra psychotherapy sessions, now all was well for another two weeks until he had to pay for the next batch.

His head buried in numbers an calculations while he counted the wad of bills in his pouch. The black leather carrier tied around his waist held all he they owned: Some of Saori's jewelry, a thick wad of bills, keys to the Kido estate, and a growing collection of pawnshop thickets.

He went On oblivious while someone followed him out of the administrative block and into the bedroom's area.

The hospital was busy, visiting hours had just begun and he navigated his way through families and well-wishers milling around the hallways, he ignored them; his head lowered, hands in his bag counting over again his treasure, trying to fit Shiryu and Hyoga into the budget: food and now an extra fee the hotel manager announced he will charge for a 'double occupancy' whatever that was; also their 'escape' money just in case they needed to get away from the social worker. A persistent man in a gray suit, thin and aging with eyes that shone in a way that worried the boy.

- That man was hovering around us since we got here... he will soon be back, I don't think he believed me when I told him oniisan will come for us - The thought of being separated from Seiya at this point was horrifying.

Back at the room, another problem was summoning.

Hyoga was talking at the closed door now.

Shiryu ran away leaving Hyoga to stare at the nurse, his face a blank canvas. The woman left minutes later.

The blond teen had looked at the door his Chinese brother ran out and back at the closed one his youngest Japanese brother hid behind, he walked slowly to it not wanting to but....

"Seiya? Are you alright?"

"Yes" was the quiet answer.

"I..." the Russian boy fumbled for words.

"Do you need a nurse?"

"No... "

"How long have you been in this place?"

"...I ...I am not sure" he sounded distant.

Hyoga sat on the floor and worried his bottom lip with his teeth.

"Seiya?"

Silence.

"Seiya? What is an STD?"

Outside in the hall way, close to the nurse's station.

Shun barely had time to turn when strong arms circled his waist.

"IKKY!!!"

It was the drop that burst the dam in Shun's countenance. The boy was almost hysterical when he hugged his oniisan and proceeded to spill the beans about everything:

From Seiya's rape to his struggle to find everyone, the half truths he told Hyoga and Shiryu when they arrived and the all out lies he told the pawnshop dealer, the hospital, the social worker... It was too much but Ikky nodded sagely and strangely enough he allowed him to curl up in his arms when they found a small sofa in the waiting room.

He melted in the safety of that strong shoulder, even handed over the bag with the money for safe keeping. Ikky nodded to all he said but laced the bag back around the boy's waist.

"I questioned the hospital staff, they mentioned some of this" he said while Shun was hiccuping, a bit calmer now as he rubbed his back.

"You did well ototo. Now common, dry those tears" he took out a dark blue handkerchief and wiped at puffed eyes and red cheeks "we must get the others ."

Shun nodded and led the way back.

tbc.

Well my boss is gonna kill me!!! ...but I got to update!! º º ººº

Still working on the grammar, hope I improved. I keep using Spanish rules and I cant find anything online! Giving the beta-reader suggestion a serious look this week.


	11. Renewal

****

HOMELESS

By: rude

****

Renewal

Ikky marched into the waiting room with precise strides. It took him no more than two seconds to spot the tall Chinese teen slumped by the wall, and it took him even less to figure out his state of mind. Shiryu wept; head resting On his knees, arms tight around his ankles.

People passed by and stared, a nurse had tried earlier to question him but he refused to say anything other than demand to be left alone.

When another figure sat in a chair in front of him, he just curled up tighter like a hedgehog.

The newcomer let out a sigh. Shiryu felt it close to his head, lifting his hair, stirring that long mane he was using as a curtain.

He could see the strangers black working boots, he was not hospital staff, maybe they called security, washed-out denim covering those boots told him otherwise.

He felt sick, nauseous even. "Leave me be, whomever you are."

A large hand rested on his shoulder and he tried to shrug it of. The only effect was another one joining the first and pushing him so, his back was pressed to the wall.

He gasped at the sudden jolt, eyes wide and unseeing his fist flew at the man's jaw. When noting happen his jumbled mind registered the voice and the hand gripping his with sure strength, and then, he too, sighed. Only it came out as a hiccuping gasp.

"Getting rusty Dragon?" Ikky smiled that roughish smile of his and pulled Shiryu to his feet.

As they walked back to Seiya's room Shiryu was quiet and collected, even with eyes still puffy and red, he was back to that facade of his, that smooth lake he resembled when battle called for it. Ikky new it was only on the surface, he knew that the undercurrent was raging.

Shun greeted them with a worried look. Hyoga was knocking on the bathroom door his voice rising by the second.

"Seiya" Shun said.

Inside the battered Pegasus, laid down on cold tiles.

It help the sick feeling spreading all over him, he felt drowsy from so many drugs. It was hard to tell the days, he felt time was moving on without him.

Confused and wondering about his friends, he had finish his business, got of the toilet seat, and sat by the doorknob.

Hyoga's voice was outside, in the bedroom, and it was a strange comfort.

"Seiya? Do you know what is an STD?"

"No, do you?"

His blond friend outside leaned his head on the door. "Me either, just curious anyway"

Shun said he will be right back, he never lied.

As his mind glimpsed about the here and now, he realized why Shiryu was not out there talking to him as Hyoga did. The nurse told them something about...

'He knows... ' The voice in his head bounced around like an Eco.

He broke into a sob, surprised, but tears refused to come. It hurt like hell to breath. He curled in on himself eyes wide now, the cursed hospital gown riding up to show him his bruised legs and something more.

He scraped at his wrist with blunt fingernails when he saw a red spot on his thigh.

"Hnnn!!" a strangled protest.

Pupils dilated, he zeroed on the door as he bit his fist hard enough to bleed.

"What was that Seiya?"

Eyeing the door he shakily shook his head and added as an after thought.

"'m okay... be out soon"

A few minutes passed before Hyoga started knocking. He heard something and was about to do more than knock, when Ikky was suddenly there asking what was going on and pushing him aside.

Seiya was laying in a small pool of blood sawing away at his arms, afraid to look down. He was sure it had happened again, maybe he fell asleep and 'they' came back, maybe this time Shiryu and Hyoga were there instead of Shun...

Shiryu seeing him hurt more than anything, the world falling apart before him, green eyes full of shame.

Seiya stood in jerky motions levering his weight on the porcelain basin, above it was a mirror. A blurry reflection of himself started up another bout of hysteria.

He was so angry at his helplessness he broke the mirror as an after thought,

he felt like screaming but noting came out. He shouldn't have let them put him to sleep.

-They did it while I slept... I let them do it while I slept..-

A few minutes later the door came loose from its hinges and someone was taking away the mirror shard from his shaking hands.

All the boy heard was a gruff demand "Don't give up now, Seiya" and he was pulled into a hug, one resembling a wall of warmth.

Tbc.

Updating sooner now, Thank U for your reviews!!


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